Time For Kochi Corporation To Innovate & Change

The mosquito population in Kochi is out of control. They’re biting people left and right, they’re virtually everywhere, and they’re spreading diseases.

Mosquitoes are a major problem for Kochi just as it is for rest of the world. As the world changes to adapt and bring in new strategies to tackle mosquitoes, Kochi Corporation continues to lag behind. Mosquito-borne illnesses have become more common over the past decades and are linked to epidemics like Zika and malaria. The World Health Organization estimates that about 219 million people were infected with malaria in 2015, leading to an estimated 438,000 deaths. The only way to stop them is to use insecticides to kill them all. Right? Wrong.

While there are currently methods of mosquito population control, such as spraying insecticides, these methods are not always effective or possible in poor countries. There is also a concern that these methods will lead to resistance among mosquitoes or other unintended consequences.

Mosquitoes can develop resistance to insecticides over time, so even if we used the most powerful insecticides available, it would eventually have no effect on the mosquito population. This is why we need to find another way to control their population without using toxic chemicals that could hurt humans in the process too.

To combat this issue, scientists explore new ways of population control that do not rely on insecticides. One such strategy is called Wolbachia-based mosquito control; this strategy has shown promise in reducing the populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by 99 percent in field trials, preventing them from transmitting dengue virus to humans.

This blog post discusses how genetic strategies can be used to reduce mosquito populations and decrease the spread of disease. Ever since the Zika virus outbreak in 2015, there has been an increase in spraying insecticide to control mosquitoes. This is a problem because it’s harmful to the environment and our health. Why use chemicals when you can just genetically modify mosquitoes?

The problem with insecticides and why we need a better solution

There are currently methods of mosquito population control, such as spraying insecticides. These methods are not always effective which has been the case in Kerala where Kochi Corporation stands out as an example. There is also a concern that these methods will lead to resistance among mosquitoes or other unintended consequences. In order to combat this issue, scientists explore new ways of population control that do not rely on insecticides.

Scientists are looking into gene drives, which would make males produce only male offspring (or vice versa). They are also starting to release genetically engineered mosquitoes into certain areas with high populations of mosquitoes. New CRISPR-Cas9 studies will help scientists edit out specific genes in order to change or delete them completely.

Scientific methods to control mosquitoes without using chemicals

1) Scientists are experimenting with gene drives, which would make males and females of the same species produce only male offspring (or vice versa),  which has shown promising results in controlling mosquito populations by suppressing the transmission of malaria for up to 10 generations.

2) Genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released into certain areas to reduce the population of mosquitoes.

3) New studies are using CRISPR-Cas9, a technique that allows scientists to edit DNA at specific points on chromosomes to change or delete genes.

4) Mosquito eggs (called ova or oocysts) can be selectively sterilized so only female mosquitoes hatch from them.

5) The use of Wolbachia bacteria in mosquitoes is being explored as a way to block reproduction and kill off the mosquito population. Wolbachia-based mosquito control has shown promise in reducing the populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by 99 percent in field trials, preventing them from transmitting dengue virus to humans.

6) One of the new methods for controlling mosquito populations is to use a natural substance called Bti. This substance is found in chili peppers and kills mosquitoes when they eat it. A study done in Mexico showed that this method reduced mosquito population by 80% over a 5-year period.

Bti is a biological or a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils. (Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis.) It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target and only affect the larvae of the mosquito, blackfly and fungus gnat. EPA has registered five different strains of Bti found in 48 pesticide products that are approved for use in residential, commercial and agricultural settings primarily for control of mosquito larvae.

 

New studies are using CRISPR-Cas9, a technique that allows scientists to edit DNA at specific points on chromosomes to change or delete genes.

This is revolutionary in the field of genetic engineering because it can be used to remove certain species from an ecosystem or modify their traits. For example, mosquitoes could be modified so that they can’t transmit diseases, changing their population size through selective breeding.

These methods have great potential for controlling mosquito populations without harming the environment and our health!

Kochi needs an integrated and holistic mosquito control management system in place. A scientific approach to this is the need of the hour. Just finding a solution to mosquito menace is not enough, it should be scientific, systematic and focused approach to get rid of this problem.

 

• Please note scientific information in this blog has been sourced from different sources including research studies.